April 14, 2017 - Gianna's 13th Birthday Trip to London - Day 3 - Churchill War Museum, London Afternoon Tea Bus Tour and 17 INTERESTING AND UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL

Elisa's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN: LONDON, ENGLAND

Going to Try Again

Greetings from London!!

This is our second morning waking up here in "The Big Smoke."  

I am doing my darndest to get my gang out of bed as early as possible to get out the door so we can make it to The Churchill War Rooms prior to our Afternoon Tea Bus Tour.

The Tour begins at 2:30, so I wanted to get to the Museum by 11:30 - and be able to leave there by 1:30 so we could be on our way to Victoria Coach Station and get there in plenty of time.

The weather was slightly overcast today when I awoke, and the forecast says 30% chance of rain later.  Oh Well, good thing we have our rain slickers and an umbrella.

Wow - jetlag set in last night for me and the kids - we were wide awake till around 2am.  Needless to say, my girls were not too thrilled about getting up early to go to a "museum."  Oh well, such is life when you are visiting a foreign country with as much history as London.

AT THE BUS STOP - GIANNA DIDN'T LIKE THE VITAMIN WATER LEMONADE I GOT HER - APPARENTLY TOO TART (c) travelincousins.com

I decided to venture into the world of public transportation and so me and the girls took the bus today.  It was great getting around like locals and the kids got a kick out of the double decker buses. 

Kelsey and I went to the little store downstairs and purchased our Oyster cards (like a metro card) and after waiting for Gianna to emerge from a coma, the three of us were on our way.

While I was enjoying the ride and the views, the girls were watching Grey's Anatomy on Gianna's phone - REALLY?!?

A series of oil paintings by Claude Monet depicting the Palace of Westminster, home of the British Parliament, in the fall of 1899 and the early months of 1900 and 1901 are clearly inspired by "The Smoke" of London

​
Did you know...
​The nickname, "The Smoke" or "The Big Smoke" came about due to London regularly experiencing  pea soup fogs due to air pollution, most notably the Great Smog of 1952, and the nickname persists to this day.

FIRST STOP...
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS
Once again, we left later than I had wanted and as a result, there was quite a long line in front of the Churchill War Rooms.  UGH!!

This time, I decided to wait it out.  I thought, better to experience it, even for a short period of time than not at all.

YESTERDAY WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO IN (c) travelincousins.com

TAKING A SEAT WHILE WAITING ON LINE TO ENTER CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS. (c) travelincousins.com

Located adjacent to Clive Steps near the bronze statue of Robert Clive, the Churchill War Rooms contain incredible history and information about the life of Winston Churchill, who held the position of Prime Minister of England, not once, but twice, as well as the English war effort under Churchill during World War II.

In the context of the military, the statue of Robert Clive, commemorates one of the most controversial figures in all British military history.

AT CLIVE STEPS - IN FRONT OF STATUE OF MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT CLIVE (c) travelincousins.com

Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, KB, FRS (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India was quite a controversial figure.

His achievements included establishing control over much of India, and laying the foundation of the entire British Raj. For that he was vilified by his contemporaries in England, and put on trial before Parliament. Of special concern was that he amassed a personal fortune in India.

Modern historians have criticised him for atrocities, for high taxes, and for the forced cultivation of crops which exacerbated famines. (from wikipedia)

Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, KB, FRS (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, (credit: wiki)

We were told the line had a wait of 90 minutes, but even though we didn't arrive on the queue until 12:00, we managed to get inside by 12:35 - not bad at all.

The weather held out and the day was quite lovely, in spite of the overcast sky, with a light breeze in the air.  WE caught a parade of UK war vets as we stood in line.  I always am touched by the men and women of the military and watched as they marched proudly.

PARADE OF VETERANS TODAY (c) travelincousins.com

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When we made it in, I knew that I probably made a mistake to go when I was rushed.  But, I really couldn't see a clear time the rest of our stay that would allow me much more time.  

​So, I thought better I should experience it for a short time than risk not visiting at all.  

Let me tell you - this place requires many hours! There is so much to see and read and absorb.

We took the self guided audio guides, which were very informative and provided a great of background about how the underground war rooms came to be and what it was like for the members of the government to "live" here during the war.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS (c) travelincousins.scom

THIS WAS THE SIGN USED TO INDICATE THE WEATHER "UP ABOVE GROUND" (c) travelincousins.com

There were many rooms throughout the tunnels - meeting rooms, "bedrooms" for the government officials, a kitchen, map rooms, and others with specific military functions necessary during the war.

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WINSTON CHURCHILL'S "WAR ROOM" BEDROOM (c) travelincousins.com

But, for me, perhaps the most fascinating of all was the gallery dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill himself.  

I've always admired and loved Churchill and I only wish i had another hour (at least) to spend roaming around and reading every last item and stare at each piece of memorabilia.  I raced through (unfortunately) but was so happy to have had  the hour that I did.

WHAT AN AMAZING LEADER! (c) travelincousins.com

The Atlantic Charter issued during World War II on 14 August 1941, defined the Allied goals for the post-war world. The leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States drafted the work and all the Allies of World War II later confirmed it. (c)travelincousins.com

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HUGE MAPS COVER THE WALLS IN THE WAR ROOM - PLOTTING THE COURSE FOR THE BRITISH AND ALLIED ARMIES (c) travelincousins.com

​NEXT STOP...
VICTORIA COACH STATION FOR THE AFTERNOON TEA BUS TOUR

Although I hated leaving the War Rooms, we had to get going or we would miss our reserved spot on the Afternoon Tea Bus.

Off we went to catch yet another bus to Victoria Coach Station where we would meet the most delightful French crew for our 90 minute tour around London aboard a double-decker bus, where we would be fed yummy finger sandwiches, pastries and tea!!

This was super fun!!! I highly recommend this weather you have kids or not.  Upon entering this most adorably decorated bus, the tables are pre-set with tiered trays of yummy sandwiches and decadent desserts!!

SEATED AT "TABLE 8" ON THE AFTERNOON TEA BUS (c) travelincousins.com

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To accommodate the movement, the tea is cleverly served in plastic cups with covers and placed securely in cup holders to avoid any spillage.  They are also a cute souvenir of the experience!

My tea choice was Darjeeling, while Gianna stuck with Green Tea.  Kelsey opted out of tea altogether  and chose hot chocolate.

The cute map from bbbakery's website, displays the route that our delightful bus traversed. 

We were able to see from the comfort of the upper level of our bus, most of the iconic sights for which London is famous.  

Departing from Victoria Coach Station, we went past Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Knightsbridge, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Kensington Palace, Knotting Hill, Marble Arch, Mayfair, The Green Park, The Ritz Carlton, St. James Palace, The National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Piccadilly, The London Eye and Trafalgar Square.

I snapped away while we munched on the super de-lish goodies and sipped our beverages! 

Let me preface that the following pictures were taken with my professional Canon BUT, through a closed bus window -- so I apologize in advance for any glare or lack of clarity.

I hope you enjoy the photos I took, on this less than sunny day and the tidbit of information about each of these London sights.

HYDE PARK - 350 acres filled with something for everyone - swimming, boating, tennis, horse riding and many flower gardens! (c) travelincousins.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE - one of the most expensive areas in all of London with high end shops including Harrods Department store (c) travelincousins.com

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Dedicated to King Albert by Queen Victoria - when he died at 42 years old of typhoid, she never stopped mourning him for the rest of her life and put up memorials all over the city. (c) travelincousins.com

Beautiful Horse Sculpture (c) travelincousins.com

THE RITZ CARLTON - Established 1924 (c) travelincousins.com

MARBLE ARCH (c) travelincousins.com

PICCADILLY (c) travelincousins.com

BUCKINGHAM PALACE (c) travelincousins.com

BIG BEN - It is actually the clock inside the tower that is "Big Ben" not the entire tower. The tower is 96 meters high and leaning 8.1 inches towards northwest. (c) travelincousins.com

We are back at our apartment - our London home for the next week and I'll be back to you tomorrow as we head over to see Mamma Mia!!

Sorry no videos today but there was way too much moving around!!

Will film tomorrow!

-Elisa
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 3 DAYS

17 FACTS about Churchill and you'll never believe what I did...

OMG 3 more days!!!

ONLY 2 more days before Easter!

Just 1 more day for me to finish EVERYTHING I need to prep for Easter!

And TODAY to wrap up my packing, hit the gym for one last time before the trip, tie up all loose ends, errands, chores, Cosette's Horse Back riding lesson and then a nice relaxing stop at the nail salon for a much needed Mani.

I'm gonna be wearing closed toe shoes on this trip to London - so I'm saving the time/money (for more LipSense lol) and not getting a Pedicure until I get back home and am on my way to Hawaii - where my toes will definitely be on full display!

Besides my toes don't look too shabby right now and are still looking pretty great from my last pedicure.

​Well as you may have noticed - I said that I have to FINISH my packing. I am soooooo glad to have done most of my own packing yesterday, and for the kids earlier this past week. This will free up my already busy weekend!

Another thing that was on our list to do yesterday was go and visit Dream.

It was a lovely day and Cosette spend a good time giving Dream a bath, getting her all cleaned and pampered...

​HOWEVER like most horses she didn't stay clean very long!!

Immediately dropping to the dirt to roll just as soon as she got in the arena!

And now, hopefully you've been keeping up with Elisa over there in London. Today she was able to briefly visit the Churchill War Rooms - check out her side for details and pictures.

Also if you recall April 9th was Winston Churchill Day here in the USA - 
​April 9, 2017 -
Winston Churchill Day 

And finally I have shared with you:

​17 INTERESTING AND EVEN UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT 
​WINSTON CHURCHILL

• Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on Monday November 30th 1874 at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire to Tory politician, Lord Randolph Churchill and American-born beauty Jeanette Jerome.
• Churchill’s mother was an American.
  In the late 19th century, it was rather common for British aristocrats to marry U.S. heiresses. One such relationship matched Lord Randolph Churchill, the third son of the seventh Duke of Marlborough, with Jennie Jerome, the Brooklyn-born daughter of a wealthy financier. The couple had two children together: Winston in 1874 and Jack in 1880. Yet the relationship purportedly soured, and Jennie was frequently absent. She remained in England following Lord Randolph’s death in 1895 and would marry twice more, in both instances to men two decades her junior.
• From an early age, Churchill was fiercely independent and rebellious – qualities which resulted in a poor academic record at school, for which he was punished.
• Enrolled into Harrow School on Tuesday April 17th 1888, young Winston – who struggled with a stutter and a lateral lisp – was mocked for his red hair and was quickly given the cruel nickname "Copperknob".
• After leaving Harrow in 1893 with average academic results, Churchill applied to attend the Royal Military College, in Sandhurst. But the future military commander struggled with the entrance exam – taking THREE attempts before eventually passing in 1893.
• Between 1895 and 1900 Churchill sought to get himself transferred into as many dangerous military zones as possible – writing up his narrow escapes from the front line for papers including the Daily Graphic, and Daily Telegraph. By 1899, working as a correspondent for the Morning Post, Churchill negotiated a salary of £250 a month and all expenses paid – equal to more than £27,000 today – making him the highest-paid war correspondent of the day.
• Churchill was marched to a prison camp in 1899, which he soon escaped by scaling a wall in the dead of night. Two fellow prisoners had planned to escape with the young servicemen but turned back. Churchill marched and stole rides on goods trains to travel some 300 miles from the prison to Lourenço Marques, the capital of Mozambique. Churchill was forced to hide in a mine shaft for three days during his great escape.
• As a young politician, Churchill was staunchly against votes for women.
• Winston Churchill once defined tact as “the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.”

• One of the first times OMG was used was in a letter to Churchill –  Admiral John Arbuthnot "Jacky" Fisher penned the correspondence in 1917. Writing: "O.M.G (Oh! My! God!)-- Shower it on the Admiralty!"

• Sir Winston Churchill proposed to three different women during his twenties – all of whom refused. He did however remain friends with all three women.
• Churchill married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier less than a month after the pair announced their engagement. The ceremony took place in St Margaret’s Church in Westminster, London on Tuesday 11 August 1908. Together the couple would have five children together – Diana, Randolph, Sarah Tuchet-Jesson, Marigold and Mary Soames.
• Churchill was so notorious for his smoking, he has a cuban cigar named in his honour. The Churchill is approximately 7inches long and 19mm wide.

• Prime Minister Churchill visited the White House just before Christmas in 1941. The secretive 24-day visit made quite an impact on staff – who had to adjust to the 67-year-olds eccentricities. Chief Usher J.B. West recalled, "We got used to his 'jumpsuit,' the extraordinary one-piece uniform he wore every day, but the servants never quite got over seeing him naked in his room when they'd go up to serve brandy. It was the jumpsuit or nothing. In his room, Mr. Churchill wore no clothes at all most of the time during the day."
• In 1963, US President John F. Kennedy – acting under authorisation granted by an Act of Congress – proclaimed Sir Winston Churchill an Honorary Citizen of the United States. Churchill and Mother Teresa are the only people to have been made honorary US citizens during their lifetimes. Sadly, due to his deteriorating health – Churchill was unable to attend the White House ceremony in his honour.
• Churchill was extremely accident prone.
  As a youth, Churchill once suffered a concussion and ruptured a kidney while playfully throwing himself off a bridge. Later on, he nearly drowned in a Swiss lake, fell several times from horses, dislocated his shoulder while disembarking from a ship in India, crashed a plane while learning to fly and was hit by a car when he looked the wrong way to cross New York’s Fifth Avenue. None of these incidents, however, left him too worse for wear. He lived until age 90 before finally succumbing to a stroke.
• Elizabeth II offered to create Churchill Duke of London, but he declined. After his death, she decreed that Churchill's body be laid in state in Westminster Hall for three days – a privilege normally only reserved for members of the Royal family. Churchill was then granted a state funeral – one of the biggest in the history of Britain. In total, 112 countries were represented inside St Paul's – with only China refusing to send an envoy. Across the globe, more than 350million people watched the ceremony on television – including 25million in Britain. The US audience for the British Second World War politician was larger than that for President Kennedy’s funeral, broadcast some 15 months earlier. After the ceremonies, Churchill was buried in the family plot at St Martin's Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire next to his mother and his father.

Super interesting stuff!

Anyhow back to today, or rather last night. You'll never guess what I did...

I BOOKED DUBLIN FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!
Which was the plan all along - I just was planning on waiting a bit before diving into that 2018 trip.

But I've never been know to have much patience and with Elisa in London (although I'll be there soon), I just needed to scratch that itch! LOL

I wish you all a FAB day. I'm heading to the gym now.

Tata for now,
-T